Tag: controller

In what is likely the most ingenious concept of Wii U’s lifespan, Hyperkin is currently testing a GameCube-esque Wii U wireless controller that will be fully compatible with Wii U Pro Controller titles. Not to be done by some of the other third-party controller announcements this week, the new controller titled “ProCube” showed up in a reddit post on /r/SmashBros early yesterday. Unlike Nintendo’s proprietary Wii U GameCube controllers, the ProCube is able to sync via the same method as a Wiimote or Wii U Pro Controller, making the “Wii U GameCube Adapter” completely unnecessary. Even more interesting, the controller (utilizing an additional few buttons) is fully compatible with any of the 130+ Wii U Pro Controller titles, meaning you can use this modified GameCube controller with games such as Mario Kart 8, Bayonetta 2, Xenoblade Chronicles X, or The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker.

The ProCube is still in its prototype stages, however Hyperkin hopes to have it at EVO 2015 to get player feedback. The current price expected is somewhere between $30-40, with no definite release date.

Fans of the latest Super Smash Bros. may remember that you are able to use your Nintendo 3DS as a controller for the Wii U version as long as you own a copy of the game for 3DS.

However, along with the major Smash news today, Nintendo has stealthily released a $.99 app (titled “Smash Controller”) on the eShop that allows players without a Smash cartridge to use the 3DS in the Wii U version.

The app is available now, so make sure to pick it up if you don’t have enough controllers to fill your eight-player roster!

Investment site The Motley Fool is reporting that Logitech’s recently unveiled iPhone controller, the PowerShell, could ultimately mean the death of Nintendo. The publication says that Apple is already more important than Nintendo as a recent study showed that there are 126 million mobile gamers. In comparison, Nintendo has sold about 35 million 3DS consoles worldwide. However, it should be mentioned that Apple has yet to announce a first party controller for the system.

But Nintendo’s reliance on handheld gaming is dangerous, and potentially fatal. With Logitech’s new controller, Apple’s phones could finally get the sorts of the games that attract core gamers. When that happens, the reasons to own Nintendo’s handheld will plummet.

According to CVG sources, Sony may very well abandon the DualShock controller design with the release of the company’s inevitable next-generation home console, which will probably be called the PlayStation 4. Instead, Sony’s PlayStation 4 controller will supposedly include biometric sensors and an LCD touchscreen, not unlike Nintendo’s new Wii U GamePad. Similar to how the Wii U console is compatible with Wii Remote controllers, gamers may be able to interact with Sony’s forthcoming home console via DualShock controllers.

You can play New Super Mario Bros. Wii with the Wii Remote and Nunchuk combination, but the forthcoming New Super Mario Bros. U for Wii U doesn’t support that control method. New Super Mario Bros. U launches alongside Nintendo’s new console on November 18th in North America and November 30th in Europe and Australia.

Nintendo has announced that an additional Wii U GamePad sold alone costs 13,440 yen, which is around £107. The news was revealed by Nintendo president Satoru Iwata during the Wii U hardware themed Nintendo Direct conference.

Valve doesn’t like the fact that the basic input of a PC, the keyboard and mouse, hasn’t changed in any significant way for many years, and is apparently frustrated by the lack of innovation in PC hardware. Because of this, the software company is hiring hardware development specialists for a new hardware project.

Perhaps Valve is not necessarily creating a new console, but may be developing a new controller for PC. Unlike Sony and Microsoft, whose chief video game controllers remain largely unchanged, from the NES to Wii U, each Nintendo console’s main controller is distinctive. Because Wii U offers consumers different controllers to play with, perhaps Valve should consider Nintendo’s forthcoming console as a primary recipient of its games and services.

“Valve is traditionally a software company. Open platforms like the PC and Mac are important to us, as they enable us and our partners to have a robust and direct relationship with customers.”

“We’re frustrated by the lack of innovation in the computer hardware space though, so we’re jumping in.Even basic input, the keyboard and mouse, haven’t really changed in any meaningful way over the years. There’s a real void in the marketplace, and opportunities to create compelling user experiences are being overlooked.”